


The Soul of Humanity

by eternallydaydreaming



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Family, M/M, Moral Dilemmas, after noctis dies, post game continuation, what makes us human
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 03:05:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10958337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternallydaydreaming/pseuds/eternallydaydreaming
Summary: After Noctis's sacrifice the boys try to find their place in life and carry on after the decade of the world in ruins.  Ignis reflects on a major bump in his road to find happiness with his family.





	The Soul of Humanity

Salt – he could almost taste the ocean water lingering in the air. The breeze rustled his light brown hair though only a few strands actually swayed from his gelled style. Ignis tilted his head back, savoring in the cool sweeps against his cheeks and listened to the waves crashing against the shore. His right arm rested on the table while his index and middle finger hooked around the coffee cup’s handle. Not too far away the soft giggles of a child rang musically in his ears. 

“Here, stand on this,” he heard Prompto instruct her. A chair scrapped across the wooden floors. “Steady. Turn like this. Now put your hands behind your back. There! Perfect!”

She was cooperating this time. However, Ignis was not confident that her attention span would hold especially without having her late morning nap. Either she’ll sleep soundly later or put up a rebellion at bedtime. 

The camera clicked loudly several times. Ignis imagined Prompto shifting angles and rotating settings to create different effects. Then the little body hopped off the chair and ran over to Ignis. He released his grip on the cup, bracing for a collision and the potential for coffee to breech the cup’s sides. Then the pace slowed to a brisk walk. 

“Guess what, Daddy!”

Turning his head, Ignis gave his daughter his undivided attention. Though the gesture was more of a formality – a habit in cordiality. She deserved to experience the same treatment he expected others to grace her with. 

“I am afraid I have no guess to offer, Hope.”

“Papa made me into an angel!”

His face must have contorted into puzzlement as the girl snickered before explaining, “Papa gave me angel wings! That island gave me wings.”

Ignis imagined Hope standing on the chair in front of the Angelgard while Prompto changed positions until he found the perfect angle to capture the image of the stone wings behind her. He often found himself pondering what Hope looked like in various situations though purely at the mercy of Prompto relaying enough adequate details to him. When Hope dressed up for her first piano recital, Prompto and Ignis shopped for the perfect black and white dress. Prompto explained the dress was mostly black with a white tie at the collar and some white designs but Ignis relied on his sense of touch to discover the intricate details of the velvet like fabric with tinsel feeling accents near the bottom hem. Prompto failed to even mention the little lace around the collar, which upon asking did learn was also white. Then when Hope dressed up and Prompto gushed on how beautiful she looked, Ignis bottled his disappointment, fearing any picture he conjured up could never compare to reality. He imagined her radiant violet hair (more reddish than purple as Prompto had said) cascading over her shoulders and glistening light brown eyes that was speckled with gold.

“The pic will look even better when I can get to editing it. Soften the light a bit and make the stone look more wispy.”

Smiling, Ignis counted his blessings. The last ten years have challenged them all with various trials. The loss of Noctis. Gladio’s wife suffering a miscarriage with their first pregnancy. Even Ignis’s family almost did not come to fruition. The one hit especially the hardest was most Prompto.  
. . .

Sitting in the back seat, Ignis felt each turn the car veered around, each bump, each instance the tires skidded after hitting icy patches. Even after all of these years, Niflheim seemed to be trapped in an eternal winter though Ignis was told that three months of the year passed without new snowfall. Using earbuds to listen to the audio file debriefing him on the situation he had been summoned for, Ignis tried to fight off the intertia induced nausea created by the swerving car and wished he could be behind the wheel again.

“So what’s the deal anyway?” Gladio’s gruff voice broke the silence after Ignis finally unplugged his ears.

“From what I can gather a man has barricaded himself within Zegnautus Keep. He is refusing to communicate with anyone else. Additonally, he has not made any demands other than requesting to speak with me although I cannot imagine why me specifically?”

“Oh come one, Ignis. I know you’re not dense. You are the head of diplomatic relations. A minister of the cabinet. It makes sense.”

“The governor would have been more convenient. Why request an official from Insomnia?”

“Just to be difficult and buy time to reach whatever their objective is.”

“Whatever that may be. There is concern the room might be booby-trapped. We had not even finished our recon of the facility, and we are unsure what the room’s purpose was.”

“Well, you’ll find out soon enough,” Gladio declared as he began pressing on the brakes. He then rolled down the windows; a blast of frigid air swirled through the car.

“Identification,” a man demanded. A security check-point.

Gladio stated his name while handing over their identification cards. “I’m transporting Minister Scientia. His presence was requested.”

Silence descended for several seconds as the trooper shone the flashlight between the cards and the occupants in the car. 

“I’m afraid only Minister Scientia has clearance to proceed beyond the checkpoint.”

Without complaint, Ignis unbuckled and opened the passenger door.

“Want me to wait for you?”

“Who knows how long this may proceed, Gladio. At least head to town and book a room. I will call when I have more information or require your aid.”

“All right. Good luck!”

Closing the door, a man approached Ignis as he was setting his walking cane in position. The man greeted himself as the chief negotiator albeit no actual negotiation had commenced. Whoever the mystery man was, he was not talking. No declaration of purpose. No terms presented other than retrieving Ignis.

“I have been hearing a lot about what is unknown, but what exactly do we know?”

“That’s just it. We are not fully sure. We can only speculate. Emperor Aldercapt used Zegnautus Keep as his palace. Had his throne room at the top floor…”

From behind his glasses Ignis resisted the urge to roll his eyes. All of this he already knew however his upbringing would not allow him to compromise polite formality.

“…then of course there are the Magitek cloning…breeding….whatever you wish to call it...programs. But we already destroyed what was left of that.”

Ignis was not present for the event. The cabinet had voted to incinerate the inactive, abandoned Magitek soldiers. No one could predict what would happen if they were left alone, and no one cared to learn the consequences should they suddenly be reactivated. Therefore there was only one logical conclusion. Yet none of this explained his current predicament.

“Every time we try to get close to the doors, we are welcomed with gunshots,” the negotiator continued. “We were able to ascertain that he has a rigged system to start firing his weapons. In fact he hijacked Niflheim’s own system in order to protect himself and to keep constant surveillance. And only the Six may know what is behind the closed doors. Well here we are.”

Ignis could only assume he now faced the doors to the locked room in question. They were definitely in a building and had been for a while. No longer did the cold wind smack against his face. Snow no longer pelted his face. His cane clicked against the metal floor. The scent of Zengautus Keep was also familiar – the smell of death and decay; the same odor that pervaded from the rogue infantry soldiers that roamed like zombie versions of the Magitek soldiers. Standing in front of the doors, he heard the mechanical twists of an overhead camera zooming in and out of focus. He turned his head so that the spy could better view his face. Behind him, the various personnel stepped away, leaving him alone. Or at least the quiet made him feel alone, however he suspected that snipers laid in wait should the person of interest tried to pull a stunt. When the man was satisfied with the conditions, the metal door slid open, filling the hall with the echoes of mechanical scrapes. Ignis walked in, his cane guiding him along the path. No obstacles were in his vicinity though he could not perceive much more beyond that, except for a gentle hum of machinery. Standing still Ignis listened for the man but he did not move.

“My name is Ignis Scientia…”

“No need for introductions. I know who you are.”

That voice. Ignis paused, furrowing his eyebrows in question. “Prompto?” 

Neither he nor Gladio had seen the younger man in the months following Noctis’s death. For a while he had stayed in Hammerhead. Then one day he packed his bags and left without a word. Cindy had no insight to offer other than Prompto had become withdrawn and sullen. He worked in the shop but robotically, losing his giddy personality – no longer singing or snapping photographs. His disappearance happened to coincide with the mass extermination of the MT’s. A pain stabbed his heart as he recalled Prompto reluctantly revealing to them for the first time the truth of his past, that he too was once being developed for the Niflheim army, that he too was destined to be an empty shell of a weapon.

A screech of metal chair against the floor stirred Ignis from his thoughts. A gentle hand guided him to sit down. Apparently Prompto had no intention on resolving this ordeal quickly.

“I suppose the reason you summoned me goes beyond just my position in the government.”

“Mmm,” he chimed in a so-so type of manner. “I trust you far more I would trust any other official because you are my friend, but at the same time I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t using you for your rank.”

“So what is the meaning of this?”

“I want to ask some questions first…that is, if you don’t mind?”

Ignis nodded, offering a soft smile. Prompto had a habit to act informally at first but then felt as though he crossed a line with the older (and, as often pointed out by Prompto, higher society) members of their party and would revert to acting more courteously. Making demands was counterintuitive for Prompto even if Noctis made it a habit to boss his subjects around in front of his friend. It took many months on the road for Prompto feel like he was one of them – a permanent fixture in their quartet – and thus having the freedom to tease his friends at will.

“Not at all. Please start.”

“What have they told you so far?”

“Nothing of value. They were not able to identify you. They do not seem to know the contents of this room or why anyone would lock themselves in here. All I know was there was an armed man with guns.”

The forestock slid along the shotgun’s barrel, setting the bullet in the chamber and confirming that Prompto was indeed armed. Sweat beaded under Ignis’s collar, but he dared not tug at his wet fabric. While Prompto sounded calm, Ignis could not know for sure if he was only staring into the eye of the storm.

“Prompto, why exactly are we in Zegnautus Keep? Why this room specifically? What significance captivated your attention?”

Prompto shifted in his seat. “It started off just me looking for answers really. After all those people…those Magitek soldier being terminated…I just had a lot of questions. Like whether my adoptive parents knew about what I was. Whether they had abandoned me because of it…”

Ignis gasped slightly. This was the first time Prompto had talked about his parents after leaving Insomnia. The impression had been that the Argentums were workaholics, be it by choice or necessity was irrelevant. It just was the fact of Prompto’s life.

“How long had your parents not been around?”

“Sometime when I was eleven they went to work one day and just never came back. I waited for them for a while. Each day I would come home expecting to see them but it was just me. Then one day I quit hoping and just accepted my reality. I never understood why. Then when I found out that I was part of the Magitek program, I wondered if my parents knew the truth the whole time and just couldn’t deal with it. It hurts, ya know. Not being valued as a human. Even I began to question my humanity.” A sad sigh blew through his nostrils and then silence settled for a few moments. “At any rate, I decided to come back and investigate for myself. I figured this place was pretty much abandoned so I wanted to check out the research. The files are still intact and the computers actually work. Out of date but functional. Anyway, I was roaming around and came across this room…”

Ignis waited for Prompto to elaborate but only heard Prompto stand up and shuffle around.

“Prompto, your memory may have failed you but I cannot see the significance of this room.”

“Give it a moment.”

A switch clicked. Then a sound, faint but rhythmic, reached his ears. Whoo-whoosh, whoo-whoosh, whoo-whoosh. The pace was faster but he recognized the tempo.

“A heartbeat. There are Magitek soldier incubators here? We did not destroy them all?”

“Sorta,” Prompto replied, remorse thick in his tone. “They would have been infantrymen or snipers…or whatever. But they never made it that far. Apparently the scientists infected the MT’s with the starscourge in small doses but in regular intervals until they reached adulthood when they were completely corrupted and programmed for their one purpose. But these ones probably only received their first dose. According to records the clones’ initial exposure occurred before their first birthday.”

Ignis’s eyes widened in horror as his mouth parted slightly but the gasp was caught like a lump in his dry throat. “The incubators are housing infants?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I found them a few months ago. I hadn’t figured out how to safely take them out. Thought I could take them to those safe havens, like hospitals…”

“Prompto,” Ignis then hesitated, uncertain how stable Prompto’s mind was. “You can’t just treat them like normal babies. These are preprogrammed to be killers.”

If Ignis had his sight intact, he would have witnessed Prompto shooting him a hurt and resentful glare.

“Do you think that of me, Ignis? Someone destined to be a killer?”

Out of habit, Ignis cast his eyes toward the ground ashamed of insulting his friend. The pleading tone wrenched Ignis’s heart.

“Don’t you understand?! I was supposed to be just like them! You know that. Yet after you found out the truth you all still put your trust in me. Why should these babies be treated any differently?”

“Prompto, we are not sure exactly how Niflheim’s technology have evolved since your generation. For all we know their infant bodies could already be devoid of a soul leaving them nothing more than organic vessels to be molded for Niflheim’s purpose.”

“Honestly, I used to wonder the same thing. That’s why I began my own experiments.” Prompto then turned a dial and soft orchestral music filled the room. He watched the monitors for one of the babies. “This girl loves music. Her brain waves react to it every time I turn the radio on. When they are awake they will look at me and follow my movement. Little music girl has even tried to reach her hand toward me. They’re just children, Ignis. I can’t in good conscience let ignorant people just flippantly decide their fate. To murder the innocent like they did with the others. Those were pretty much full-fledged Magitek soldiers beyond hope.” Prompto sniffled and used the back of his hand to wipe away tears. “These babies don’t deserve that. You were the only person I could trust to share this information with but I guess my trust was misplaced after all.”

Standing up, Ignis walked toward Prompto until he ran into the rifle’s muzzle; the barrel pressed hard against his chest, stopping him in his path. Ignis raised his hands up in surrender.

“Prompto, I understand there is no apology I can offer that you will accept right now. An assessment will need to be made before we can entrust that these children can safely be integrated into society. All I can promise is to remain unbiased during the analysis and rely on the data produced. Right now, I just want to help you, Prompto”

Ignis gently placed his hand on the rifle and pushed it to the side. Now that his safety was ensured, Ignis stepped closer and placed a reassuring hand on Prompto’s should, lightly squeezing the chiseled muscle.

“One way or another there will be soldiers entering this room. There are snipers placed outside of the doors and they are working to dismantle your security system. If they feel the necessity, they are prepared to kill you. If you surrender and walk out of here, you will be arrested for trespassing. I cannot offer any other conditions in this moment that will allow you to leave this room alive, but I can promise is to advocate for you. Please hand over the gun.”

Straightening his shoulders, Prompto’s shaky hands turned over the gun. Prompto snorted back the snots clogging his nostrils and scrubbed away the slimy mess under his nose. Reluctantly he placed his gun in Ignis’s hands and then proceeded to dismantle the various guns he had rigged to ward off intruders. Before walking out of the room, Prompto peered over his shoulder.

“Ignis, I beg of you to please protect those who cannot protect themselves otherwise Noctis’s sacrifice to save humanity will be in vain. Who are we to judge the soul of the babes who have not yet had the chance to experience life?”  
. . .

Since that day, the road had been bumpy between Prompto’s arraignment and his time spent in prison to advocating for the Niflheim Orphans’ right to life legislation. Prompto was suddenly thrust out of the shadows of his own secrets into the light of public scrutiny. The discrimination and harassment for his Niflheim origin led him to lobby heavily for anti-discrimination laws with Ignis being his chief ally in the parliament. The political suicide was a huge risk but the more Ignis learned and interacted with the chambered children the more he realized each were unique individuals. Each reacted differently to different stimuli. While he could rely only his ears to listen to the machines reading off vital signs, one unbiased lab technician served as his eyes and discussed her observations with him. Scientists were never able to discover the mechanism that kept the babies suspended in their infantile state but once they were freed, birthed if you will, then the infants began aging at a normal rate. Perhaps it was this control that allowed Niflheim to maintain a steady supply of Magitek soldiers. None of that matter now. 

When the children were deemed healthy, they were secretly incorporated into various Lucian orphanages. While the records were kept closed, when Ignis and Prompto had inquired about specifically adopting one of the Niflheim Orphans, the director pointed them to the few children that fit the description. One little girl, perhaps 18 months in age by that point, caught their attention. She sat huddled in a corner, clutching a doll to her chest; her black tattoo was fully visible on her wrist. A sad, scrawny child who looked too intimidated to play with the more rambunctious peers. Prompto had approached her with a warm greeting. He had sat and rolled a ball to her. While it took some time to figure out his intentions, the girl approached him the moment he revealed his own tattoo to her. The common trait captivated her but soon lost her interest the moment she spotted his handheld camera in his pocket and attempted to pull it out. Sitting next to her, Prompto showed the girl various pictures of cute animals he had taken earlier in the day. The entire adoption process was arduous. Periodically the two men visited the child until they were finally cleared to take Hope home. 

By the time Ignis had snapped out of his reverie, Hope had found her way into Ignis’s lap. She placed her head against his shoulder and remained in that position. Within minutes her breathing grew deep and steady with soft snores emitting from her nostrils. Camera clicks soon followed. A smile tugged at his lips as he wrapped an arm around the sleeping child. He kissed the top of her head just as several more clicks captured the moment. Tears began flooding his eyes as he reflected on how close he was to never having his beautiful family. How distrust and resentment almost stole Prompto away from him. How he almost never found his little angel. Pulling her in closer, Ignis vowed to never take the light of hope for granted again.


End file.
